Industry News

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month to prompt assessment of company cloud computing mobile solutions

In celebration of October being National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, business IT professionals are recommended to assess their technology protection practices, especially those employed on their mobile solutions. USA Today reports that this month marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance's annual initiative to inform companies of the latest methods to secure their information. To get themselves in the spirit of the cybersecurity season, organizations should be sure to assess their current data defense strategies, tweaking them as need be.

Reaping the benefits of cloud computing while minimizing the risks
According to CIO Insight, insufficient mobile security measures pose a threat to businesses using cloud computing solutions to store and analyze confidential company data. Such capabilities serve as an invaluable tool for organizations relying on them, especially those that have more modest resources. As these advanced technological tools are cost-effective and highly efficient, they tend to foster optimal business performance. If used correctly, cloud-based capabilities allow companies to maximize production with minimal effort and expenses.

With that said, storing sensitive company information on the cloud can be risky if businesses do not follow the proper protection protocols, particularly when combined with the recent "bring your own device" trend. By allowing third-party service providers to take on the responsibility of housing critical information, accompanied by letting employees access and analyze data from their personal mobile devices, companies are forfeiting a significant amount of control. This does not have to be the case. These technological methods have the potential to bring an organization's operations to a whole new level in terms of efficiency and profit generation, but businesses need to be proactive in ensuring that they are adequately secured.

Cyberattacks to target more mobile platforms
"The current awareness of security and its impact on users of mobile devices is likely to change," Ruggero Contu, research director for Gartner, said to CIO Insight. "Gartner expects attacks to focus increasingly on mobile platforms as they become more popular."

As an increasing number of businesses have been adopting cloud computing services, allowing their data to be accessed remotely through employee devices, cyberthieves have caught on and started to target unprotected mobile platforms. Because of this, companies need to take the necessary precautions to defend their data and prevent their systems from being hacked. They should look to establish strict BYOD policies, educating their employees about safe mobile solutions practices, in addition to verifying that all of their vital infrastructures are protected by security software.